Some of you undoubtedly remember Audrey Santo, of Worcester, Massachusetts. She is now twenty-two years old, but about a decade ago, her story was regularly featured in the Catholic and secular press. When she was small, she had fallen into a swimming pool, and while she lived, she was severely injured and lives in what is called "akinetic mutism." Her story became known because a devotion of sorts arose around Audrey as a Victim Soul.

In Commonweal, a story about Audrey Santo, who is still alive, although apparently in poorer health than she had been. The story focuses on the impact of Audrey on one man, a diagnosed schizophrenic, but tells a bigger story as well, about the complexities of spiritual awareness, mental illness, and sacramentality:

In 1998, thousands attended a Mass in Audrey’s honor at the College of the Holy Cross football stadium. Pilgrims could view Audrey though a large window in a specially designed room resembling a small house that had been towed to the service. (It was built by a relative of the man who made the Popemobile.) Some faculty objected to the public display of a disabled woman, and many voiced concerns that Holy Cross would become associated with a particularly ostentatious form of Catholic supernaturalism. Some commentators have raised questions about claims of supernatural phenomena and healings associated with Audrey. In 1999, the Diocese of Worcester published an initial report on the case, which stated that the real miracle was the dedication the Santo family has shown to Audrey’s care. The report held that, while there was no evidence of fraud, more investigation was needed, especially concerning the nature of the oil stains and the state of Audrey’s consciousness. The diocese has not made any further comments about her case. Audrey’s medical condition has recently worsened, and only family members and medical professionals are allowed to see her.

The Audrey Santo phenomenon raises a series of complex religious and ethical questions, but there is no denying the powerful effect Audrey has had on those who have made the journey to Worcester. John told me about a dream he had in which Audrey presented him to thousands of cheering people in a football stadium. For John, Audrey and the devotion surrounding her opened a space for community he otherwise would not have experienced. Although her family has now barred outsiders from seeing Audrey, John continues to travel to the Santo house because it is one of the few places he feels accepted as a full person. He is not alone in understanding Audrey herself as a focal point for acceptance and community. The Apostolate of a Silent Soul, the ministry that has grown up around Audrey, publishes a newsletter containing letters from people touched by her. Some are petitions, and others testify to healings and other supernatural experiences. But most are intended simply to express moments of anxiety and suffering along with the unexpected consolations that everyday life often brings. John and other pilgrims have found in Audrey a way beyond the silence of their own suffering.